Young Kiwi driver Mitch Evans has revealed he turned down a multi-year deal with a leading V8 Supercars team to continue chasing success in Europe.
The 2012 GP3 champion, Evans is three rounds into his fourth season in GP2.
But after three largely frustrating years in Formula One’s official feeder series, the talented Aucklander seriously explored his options before deciding on returning for 2016.
An impressive final half of last season earned Evans tests in a World Endurance Championship-winning Porsche LMP1 car and with Audi in the well-respected German sportscar series DTM.
While a sought-after race seat with either of the heavyweight manufacturers didn’t materialise, there was serious interest from the biggest motor racing series in Australasia.
“I had an opportunity to go to V8 Supercars for this year and be in a fulltime gig with a top team, Evans told Stuff.
“I could have gone there for three years, but it was just too early for me.
“Whether I’ll regret that in the future I don’t know, but I’m still 21 and I’ve put a lot of energy and effort into Europe. I just had to go with my gut feeling.”
Another Europe-based Kiwi and 2015 GP2 competitor, Richie Stanaway, will co-drive for New Zealand team Super Black Racing at this year’s three V8 Supercars enduro rounds.
Evans was tempted to also make the switch, even if it would have been a huge challenge in a completely different car and “massively competitive” series.
Although the Formula One dream he left New Zealand with at the age of 16 is still a long way off given the financial backing required, he wasn’t ready for a return to the southern hemisphere.
Another chance to press his case for a shot in the World Endurance Championship’s glamour LMP1 class or IndyCar, the world’s other premier single-seater series, were enough to see Evans stay put.
And when a promising off-season test led him to signing on to switch to Spanish GP2 team Campos, he came into this season confident about setting himself up for 2017.
Almost since then, though, the frustrations of previous seasons returned.
The team’s two cars struggled for pace in pre-season testing and that trend has continued across the first three rounds.
Evans went pointless in Barcelona, hustled his way to fifth and fourth around the tight Monaco circuit and last weekend in Azerbaijan was fifth in race one before being tail-ended and not finishing race two.
“It’s such a fine line in this championship,” he said. “The window of performance for these cars is so small.
“That is why you have the same teams always winning in GP2, they have the core of the car so perfected.
“We need to unlock a bit more performance to be where I want to be battling for the championship.”
Despite the situation, Evans’ goal remains winning the title and he draws optimism from the experience of turning things around previously.
He was ninth after six rounds in 2015, before finding pace and bagging two wins and three other podiums at the final five events.
Evans also knows the adjustments that helped him make that late charge last year won’t necessarily have the same effect this year.
He admits thoughts about what awaits next year if the current situation doesn’t improve, with a fifth year in GP2 ruled out, do linger in the back of his mind.
But as the next round of the series in Austria looms from July 2-4, there is little time for what ifs.
With four race wins and 17 podiums to his name in GP2, the young Kiwi knows he has the pace and is fully focused on finding the car to utilise it.
“I’ve been in this position at the start of the season a few times before, but every year I’ve got myself out of it by digging in and finding answers.
“To be back in this position has hit me hard but I’m taking it on the chin. I just have to deal with it and react to it.”
